Castaner

Castaner was founded in 1927 by Luis Castaner and his cousin Tomàs Serra who took over a former espadrille workshop dating back to 1776.
The company suffered a number of crises and in 1936 was nationalised during the Spanish Civil War. Back then, espadrilles were almost exclusively worn by soldiers on the front line. Then, in 1950, the invention of vulcanised rubber and injection manufacturing caused the company’s sales to plummet.

It wasn’t until 1960 that the company really took off again, prompted by Yves Saint Laurent’s strange request for espadrilles with heels at a famous Parisian show. This departure from the norm dragged the espadrille out of the rural, everyday domain and secured its sensational entrance into the world of high fashion and luxury footwear.

Castaner is now a solid company with a massive presence — on the red carpet, in haute couture and in capital cities the world over.